I just got my hands on a small garden! But I have no idea where to start…
There are quite some plants already planted: an olive tree, some small palm trees (that I don’t like), a Japanese maple (?), a raspberry bush and some others I don’t recognize (mostly decorative). Most of the floor is lawn (that I am letting grow wilder). Unfortunately I am not able to include a photo, it’s not loading.
I am in a 9a/9b zone (I think: mild winters rarely if ever freezing, mild summers, quite wet the whole year, continental Europe).
My questions:
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what can I do to maintain the lawn walkable but let it get more diverse?
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what tools do I need for every-day maintenance of a small garden?
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do you have any advice on plants both perennial and annual for newbies? I’m in particular interested in small plants that produce something edible. Ideally would like to start with a small apple tree? And a pumpkin/zucchini plant next year?
My biggest advice is to wait a year before you make any major changes. Things like how much sun an area gets will change throughout the year as the sun moves, or as nearby trees drop their leaves or grow them back.
As for specific plants, start by learning about what’s in your area that does well. Apps like iNaturalist are decent at helping identify plants (and bugs and animals) that you see both in nature and in other people’s gardens. You can then research those plants to see if they’re native to your area or not.
For tools, buy what you need when you need it. A shovel is good for planting new plants, but not as necessary for daily maintenance.
The lawn will be a similar process. See what pops up on its own. If you like it, research to see if it’s native or invasive.